An ultrasonic imaging system produces more diagnostic cardiac images of the left ventricle by plotting the longitudinal medial axis of the chamber between the apex and mitral valve plane as a curved line evenly spaced between the opposite walls of the myocardium. Transverse image planes are positioned orthogonal to the curved medial axis with control points positioned in the short axis view on lines evenly spaced around and emanating from the medial axis. If the short axis view is of an oval shaped chamber the transverse image is stretched to give the heart a more rounded appearance resulting in better positioning of editing control points.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
2. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the system to display the long axis heart chamber view in a plane defined by the curved medial axis.
3. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the system to produce the short axis view normal to the curved medial axis.
4. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the system to delineate a long axis myocardial border.
5. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the system to delineate the myocardial border as a short axis myocardial border.
6. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the system to stretch the myocardium in the image data to produce an image of an adjusted myocardial shape in the short axis view which appears more circular as compared to t+,+′----.:, previous myocardial shape in the image data prior to the stretch.
7. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the system to produce a first heart chamber image with the curved medial axis and a second heart chamber image with the curved medial axis straightened.
8. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the system to locate a second plurality of editing control points on the long axis border.
9. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the system to delineate the editing control points on the lines emanating from the curved medial axis and intersecting the short axis myocardial border.
10. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the system to produce and display a sequence of heart chamber images over which the curved medial axis changes progressively to a straightened medial axis.
11. The ultrasonic diagnostic imaging system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to cause the system to show the sequence of heart chamber images over which the curved medial axis changes to a straightened medial axis as an animation.
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November 23, 2016
July 4, 2023
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